Topic: Most impressive military achievement in the 20th Century?

perseus · May 28th, 2006

Which one do you think was the most impressive achievement by military forces in the 20th Century?

Impressive military achievements are usually due to an unexpected superiority in one or more of the following areas: planning, training/experience, tenacity/bravery, technology/equipment, intelligence, leadership, surprise, tactics, and strategy. However, this is usually accompanied by serious deficiencies on the other side as well. Luck also plays a major factor but is usually forgotten in place of one or more of the other positive factors.

I think you have an impressive list of candidates, but it is difficult to consider entire stretches of WW2 since these were effectively separate campaigns sometimes under the influence of different people and forces. So I suggest this list in order of achievement, for the following reasons:

German attack against the Western allies May 1940
Planning, Training/experience, tactics, strategy, leadership, so this has many of the elements. Scarred by the failure to cut of the British though.
The Israeli victory in the Six Days War, 1967
Training, technology, surprise, intelligence.
Communist forces against US and their allies in the second Indo china war (Vietnam)
Tenacity
The Finnish stand against the USSR, 1940.
Training, tactics, tenacity
Defence of Stalingrad & Uranus offensive
Planning, Strategy, Tenacity, Surprise
Rommel’s Desert offensives 1941/42
Surprise, tactics
Royal Navy Battle of the Atlantic 1940-43
Tactics, technology
Polish Warsaw uprising
Tenacity/bravery.
RAF Battle of Britain
Strategy, technology

May 28th, 2006
perseus Centurion	Which one do you think was the most impressive achievement by military forces in the 20th Century? Impressive military achievements are usually due to an unexpected superiority in one or more of the following areas: planning, training/experience, tenacity/bravery, technology/equipment, intelligence, leadership, surprise, tactics, and strategy. However, this is usually accompanied by serious deficiencies on the other side as well. Luck also plays a major factor but is usually forgotten in place of one or more of the other positive factors. I think you have an impressive list of candidates, but it is difficult to consider entire stretches of WW2 since these were effectively separate campaigns sometimes under the influence of different people and forces. So I suggest this list in order of achievement, for the following reasons: German attack against the Western allies May 1940 Planning, Training/experience, tactics, strategy, leadership, so this has many of the elements. Scarred by the failure to cut of the British though. The Israeli victory in the Six Days War, 1967 Training, technology, surprise, intelligence. Communist forces against US and their allies in the second Indo china war (Vietnam) Tenacity The Finnish stand against the USSR, 1940. Training, tactics, tenacity Defence of Stalingrad & Uranus offensive Planning, Strategy, Tenacity, Surprise Rommel’s Desert offensives 1941/42 Surprise, tactics Royal Navy Battle of the Atlantic 1940-43 Tactics, technology Polish Warsaw uprising Tenacity/bravery. RAF Battle of Britain Strategy, technology __________________ Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. Herman Goering Last edited by perseus; May 28th, 2006 at 15:34.